< 箴言 知恵の泉 2 >
1 わが子よ、もしあなたがわたしの言葉を受け、わたしの戒めを、あなたの心におさめ、
My son, if you accept what I say and value my instructions,
2 あなたの耳を知恵に傾け、あなたの心を悟りに向け、
if you pay attention to wisdom and really try to understand;
3 しかも、もし知識を呼び求め、悟りを得ようと、あなたの声をあげ、
if you cry out for insight and call loudly for help in understanding;
4 銀を求めるように、これを求め、かくれた宝を尋ねるように、これを尋ねるならば、
if you look for it as if it were silver and search for it as if it were hidden treasure;
5 あなたは、主を恐れることを悟り、神を知ることができるようになる。
then you will understand how to relate to the Lord and discover the truth about God.
6 これは、主が知恵を与え、知識と悟りとは、み口から出るからである。
The Lord is the source of wisdom; what he says provides knowledge that makes sense.
7 彼は正しい人のために、確かな知恵をたくわえ、誠実に歩む者の盾となって、
He gives good judgment to those who live right; he defends those who have good sense.
8 公正の道を保ち、その聖徒たちの道筋を守られる。
He supports those who act fairly and protects those who trust in him.
9 そのとき、あなたは、ついに正義と公正、公平とすべての良い道を悟る。
Then you will be able to recognize what is right and just and fair, in fact all that is good in the way you should live.
10 これは知恵が、あなたの心にはいり、知識があなたの魂に楽しみとなるからである。
For wisdom will fill your mind, and knowledge will make you happy.
Good decisions will keep you on track; thinking logically will keep you safe.
12 悪の道からあなたを救い、偽りをいう者から救う。
Doing this will save you from the ways of evil, from men who tell twisted lies,
who turn away from following what is right to walk down paths of darkness.
They happily do wrong; they love how twisted evil is.
They live crooked lives doing deceitful things.
16 慎みと悟りはまたあなたを遊女から救い、言葉の巧みな、みだらな女から救う。
Doing this will also save you from a woman who acts immorally, from a woman who like a prostitute tries to seduce you with flattering words.
17 彼女は若い時の友を捨て、その神に契約したことを忘れている。
Such a woman has left her husband she married when she was young, forgetting the promises she made before God.
What happens in her house leads to death; following her way leads to the grave.
19 すべて彼女のもとへ行く者は、帰らない、また命の道にいたらない。
No one who goes to her comes back; they don't ever find the way back to life again.
20 こうして、あなたは善良な人々の道に歩み、正しい人々の道を守ることができる。
So you should follow the way of the good, and make sure you stay on the paths of those who do right.
21 正しい人は地にながらえ、誠実な人は地にとどまる。
For only people who live right will live in the land; only honest people will remain there.
22 しかし悪しき者は地から断ち滅ぼされ、不信実な者は地から抜き捨てられる。
But the wicked will be thrown out of the land; those who are untrustworthy will be pulled out by the roots.